In line with my “Crickets” post from a while back – where I lamented the slow traffic into the bookstore – I have been realizing that most of the people coming to buy books are Muslims looking for traditional Islamic literature, which makes up probably less than half of my merchandise. Because of that, I feel like I’m constantly saying “no” when people ask if I have a particular title. So how do I address that? I have to let people know what kind of inventory I carry, and I have to market more to non-Muslims. One important part of that will be regular book reviews and regularly letting people know what’s on the shelves. That’s as far as I’ve gotten so far in thinking about this issue. For one thing I know I need to hurry up and get my new glasses because I tend to get headaches when I sit and read for too long!
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Light of Islam is a nonprofit bookstore whose mission is to provide the Houston-area community with accurate and accessible information about Islam and Muslims. Find out more at www.light-of-islam.org/.
